London health chief quits as Lib-Cons halt reforms

The head of London's strategic health authority has resigned over moves by the new government to put healthcare reforms on hold.

Sir Richard Sykes, chairman of NHS London since 2008, is understood to be furious that a review of healthcare in the capital, which includes possible A&E closures, has been scrapped in the short term. His departure is the first major casualty of the Lib-Con coalition.

In a letter to Health Secretary Andrew Lansley, Sir Richard says it "makes no sense" for him to continue and that "our visions of healthcare delivery bear so little in common".

He reveals that other NHS London board members are also "considering their positions". Whitehall sources said the resignation was a surprise and that Mr Lansley had made "no secret" of his plans to have a moratorium on bed cuts and A&E department closures.

The eminent microbiologist was formerly rector of Imperial College London and before that chairman and chief executive of Glaxo. Prior to the election, Mr Lansley pledged to halt the review of NHS London based on a blueprint by Lord Darzi, a promise he repeated on becoming health minister. He said: "We will stop Labour's review of the NHS in London because it is a top-down central review that is not based on evidence and is not supported by local people together with their GPs."

The Darzi review included building GP supersurgeries, or polyclinics, and specialised centres to deal with stroke patients and seriously injured accident victims. But the health service in London is also under pressure to make savings of around £5 billion.